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MISSION VIEJO, Calif. (Oct. 10, 2012) -- The Southern California Recruiting Battalion and the City of Coronado, Calif., teamed up to employ Army veterans during a Partnership for Youth Success signing ceremony at the Coronado City Hall, Sept. 18.

The 79th Sustainment Support Commanding General, Maj. Gen. Willam D. Frink Jr., and Coronado City Mayor Casey Tanaka signed the Partnership for Youth Success, or PaYS, agreement which offers an opportunity for service members to find quality civilian employment after serving their country.

The PaYS program actively matches current Coronado city recruitments with honorably discharged Army veterans and Army Reserve Soldiers and cadets seeking full-time employment, said Tanaka.

In return for providing priority interviews and job assistance to selected participants, Coronado employers now have access to high quality men and women equipped with the exceptional training, experience and values the Army instills in all its Soldiers.

"In becoming a PaYS partner today, the city of Coronado acknowledges these qualities of the U.S. Army as an incredible source of talent for civilian employment," said Frink. "Make no mistake, the Army Profession is the nation's preeminent leadership experience."

The PaYS agreement also provides opportunities for the battalion's recruiters to work closely with Coronado's community members and business owners to find qualified Army applicants.

"I look forward to a long, productive and mutually beneficial partnership," said Frink.

Coronado is a unique community within San Diego, said Lt. Col. John Oliver, battalion commander. This partnership allows the Army to have a presence in a predominately Navy community.

A small beach city located in the San Diego Bay, Coronado has almost 25,000 residents, including over 6,000 military residents. The city's government service branches and commerce and tourists industries potentially offer ample employment opportunities for skilled Army veterans, reserve Soldiers and cadets.

The city can offer positions in public safety, maintenance, administrative support and recreation, according to Jennifer Abalos, city of Coronado management assistant. But the programs that may most interest servicemembers are police officer and police dispatch and record assistant positions, said Abalos. The city recruits for those types of positions once or twice a year.

The PaYS program is an important asset for Army recruiters to meet the mission of enlisting quality people to fill the ranks of America's Army. These partnerships help the Army form strong ties with local communities, while helping to create jobs for Army veterans, said Oliver.

The Southern California Battalion has 10 of the Army's 455 PaYS partners within its recruiting area. Nearly 150,000 service members across the U.S. are currently participating in the PaYS program, with more than three million civilian jobs projected to be available over the next six years.